Viewfinders Newsletter December 2020 by Viewfinders Photography Club of Brussels

Since 1994 Next meeting: 16 December - online

©Hector Epelbaum

Newsle�er 273, December 2020

www.viewfinders.be

newsletter@viewfinders.be

INTRODUCTION By Alun Foster

©Miguel Angel Vilar

he importance of being archived…

Winter has suddenly crept in upon us. Well, you know: coastal European climate winters - just cold and damp really. While this should not be an excuse for not going out to seek nice shots (and looking at the posts in our FB group, we can see that people are indeed s�ll enthusias�cally recording the world around us), you have to admit that trudging out in 6°C drizzle is maybe not so a�rac�ve a proposi�on. S�ll, there is plenty to do at home, regarding photography. I have just moved flat. Not far, just across town. My life is now ruled by cardboard boxes, of which an alarming number seem to contain photographs and related items. Time to sort it out then, which brought many a smile (and some�mes a tear) when looking at past moments: glimpses of the life that has so quickly sped past… This brought the realisa�on of just how important it can be to ensure a safe and secure archive of our photographic works. While the collec�on of prints and nega�ves may be bulky (and damned heavy …), they are definitely “there”. My digital archive however is much less tangible, but equally precious to keep safe: who knows what memories and emo�ons they may induce in viewers 15 years or more from now? The CD-ROMs and assorted hard disks just don’t, on their own, ins�l the same sense of “caring”, somehow. Only the knowledge of what may be lost prevents them from just ending up on the “unwanted” pile…

Which ul�mately inspired me the double-check my tripleredundant archive of more recent digital photos – an ideal ac�vity for a damp, early December evening. The anonymity of ethereal bits and bytes shall not blind me to the need for taking extra special care of them, just like those printed memories in their boxes and albums…

December Mee�ng Preview Come and join us at our last Viewfinders club mee�ng for 2020 on the evening of Wednesday, 16th December, star�ng at 20:00. The login informa�on for our online Zoom mee�ng will be sent to all members by e-mail several days prior to the mee�ng. Alun will open the mee�ng with his announcements and this will be followed by a short presenta�on by Philippe Clabots on “Workflow”. The main event for this mee�ng is one of our two semiannual Challenges. The topic is “Inside”. The inspira�on for this Challenge along with the Challenge rules can be found on the Viewfinders website. You can upload a maximum of 2 digital images (.jpg) no later than the evening of Sunday, 13 December. Photo upload details have been provided to all club members. Looking forward to seeing you and your photos at the club mee�ng. Stay safe, Richard Sylvester 2

VIEWFINDERS MEETING November 18 By Richard Sylvester

n his announcements at the start of the meeting, Alun mentioned the club’s upcoming challenges and projects, a request to members for short texts on their favorite photographer for the Newsletter, and the benefits of club membership. His announcements finished on a sad note when he mentioned the passing earlier this year of past and present club members Liz Attwood, Pat Temmerman, and Ewa Iwicka. Hector Epelbaum then presented his recently awarded ARPS Distinction from the Royal Photographic Society. His topic was “Frozen Oscillations”. It was comprised of 15 photos of reflections in the pond at Tervuren Park that he took during the lockdown starting in March. Hector explained the process of obtaining a distinction, going from the original “state of intent” to the final submission of his images. Congratulations to Hector! Our main speaker of the evening was Joris Luyten, a Belgian food photographer from the region of Antwerp. He explained to us the equipment that he uses, including full frame and APS-C cameras, camera settings, tripods (essential!), lighting, both daylight and artificial light, mirrors to reflect light, and various props. He is a big fan of the Lume Cube LED light panels as they are small and can be conveniently placed. Get all your props together before you begin including the background, tripods, lighting, tweezers, knives and forks, and all of the ingredients. In a video which you can view at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Xa3MF8wGtKU and a series of photos, he explained how he builds up his final photo step by step over a series of images, by adding additional ingredients to each successive photo, and illustrated the process with both food and drink photos. The meeting finished with a question answer session along with a slideshow of his food photos.

Screenshots from the November Zoom meeting

This presentation served as an introduction to our February photo project on Food Photography where members will be able to show us their food photos.

You can find Joris’ website here and see some of his food and beverage photos here. To find out more about Joris click here. 3

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY By Karina Robin

All images ©Karina Robin

am never happier than in the African bush. Safari is the Swahili word for journey and that’s what it should be – a journey to discover the beauty of the bush, its animals, its silent moments, the excitement of a sigh�ng… What it should not be is a rush to see as many animals as possible, �cking off the „Big Five“ (lion, leopard, cape buffalo, elephant, rhino). The bush is not a zoo, you do not always get what you expect but you are off to an incredible adventure! Being in the bush for the first �me can definitely be in�mida�ng. To get to your lodge usually you already do your first game drive, from the gate through the reserve. You’ll probably see already some animals, although as it will be around noon the bush is usually quiet. Upon arrival a quick welcome, and a bite to eat, then changing into ‚safari gear‘ (don’t overdo it – you don’t want to look like Crocodile Dundee) and off you go on your first real a�ernoon game drive, a�er some instruc�ons of your field guide (‚ranger‘ for tourists). My favourites, however, are the (very) early morning drives. The air is s�ll cool, it is absolutely quiet (except for the odd call of a cape turtle dove) and the sun is about to rise. These moments are pure bliss! Probably you’ll very quickly see some impala, just outside of camp, possibly followed by kudu, a dazzle of ski�sh zebra and maybe a tower of curious giraffe (I love the English collec�ve nouns). The guide will slowly drive

up and down the various gravel roads of the reserve in search of an interes�ng sigh�ng, most of the �me in radio contact with other guides to ensure nothing is missed. Unfortunately, most tourists are impa�ent. Five minutes into a sigh�ng they want to get to the next. But as a wildlife photographer that’s not your aim. I prefer to see fewer animal species but stay longer in each sigh�ng. This, whilst developing an affinity with the surroundings, is the only way you’ll be able to document changing behaviour, interac�on between animals and just be�er appreciate the moment.

The longer you stay in a sigh�ng the more opportuni�es you have to get „the shot“. I have stayed three or more hours with a pride of sleeping lions, with a thermos of hot coffee and some biscuits. And then finally they decided it was �me to get ac�ve. A�er all that �me standing just next to them they did not even look at us anymore. That’s how I got the shot of the li�le lion cub gazing up a tree (which sold already several �mes). Apart from lots of pa�ence, going on a successful safari (as wildlife photographer) requires you to be flexible. Be prepared to:

The gear you need depends hugely on where you go, which reserves you want to visit and what will be your main subjects. All this is of course significantly influenced by the restric�ons for hand luggage. If it’s wildlife you’re a�er, forget your tripod, rather take a monopod or a beanbag. To cover most opportuni�es I always travel with my beloved Canon EOS 7DMkii with the versa�le 100-400 and as back-up a 6D with a 70-200 (plus 1.4 extender). But I am about to change to mirrorless soon. And don’t forget to put the camera away from �me to �me and just enjoy your safari!

1. Get ready for some serious low light photography. Morning game drives start in bad light and get worse with the rising sun, a�ernoon game drives have a small window of good light and then it gets worse. So be�er be prepared to stretch your camera’s ISO capaci�es. 2. Enjoy experimen�ng. In low light try panning, or low key photography. Don’t put the camera away in the harsh midday sun – high key or b/w can be your li�le helpers. 3. Get down on your knees or belly to get that great low angle of view, if possible (unfortunately that doesn’t happen o�en in lion and leopard territory). 4. And preferably, acquire some knowledge about your subjects to be�er understand why they behave in a certain way, and when to expect what.

REMOTE CONTROL OF CAMERA SHUTTERS By Bob Taylor

All images ©Bob Taylor

hen a camera is mounted on a tripod, or another type of mount, pressing the shu�er release usually causes the camera to move slightly whilst the shu�er is opera�ng. The movement may affect the image sharpness, especially with long focal length lenses. In these situa�ons, some form of mechanically de-coupling firing of the shu�er can eliminate camera movement. Also it may be impossible for the photographer to reach the shu�er release (selfies), so remote shu�er firing is required. Some�mes a self �mer on the camera can be used to allow the camera to stop moving before the shu�er is fired, but o�en it is necessary to fire the shu�er at a precise moment.

between the amateur and professional models from the same manufacturer e.g. Nikon MC & DC, Canon N3 & E3. Independent manufacturers make cable releases with the common connectors. These o�en have longer cables than those produced by the camera brands, and some have connec�ons that enable other switching devices to be connected through the cable release to the camera. Costs from €8 to €120. Many cameras allow tethered shoo�ng via a USB cable connec�on with a computer (max. 3m long) using tethering so�ware in the computer, e.g. Lightroom, ControlMyNikon/ Canon.

Mechanical cable release - semi rigid steel cable running in a flexible tube, a shu�er actua�ng pin at one end of the cable, moved by pushing a plunger at the other end. They enable the shu�er to be fired without moving the camera. Up to 45cm long, so the photographer has to be close to the camera. For longer distances, a pneuma�c bulb replaces the plunger, connected to a small piston mounted actua�ng pin by a thin flexible tube about 6m. long. The connec�on was standard in most cameras (except USA) since the late 1920’s, including some digital cameras (Fuji X). Both types are available cos�ng from €6 to €35. When cameras started having electronic shu�ers, an electrical switch was used to fire the shu�er. Many cameras will accept a cable that plugs into the camera, with a switch at the other end. The connec�ons to most cameras are specific to a par�cular brand, and some�mes are different

Many digital cameras can have wireless shu�er firing capabili�es, there are three types of wireless communica�on - Infra-red, Bluetooth, and Wifi. Most manufacturers are moving to Bluetooth or Wifi control in recent models. Infra-red, as used in older TV remote controls - have a controller that flashes an infra-red LED (light emi�ng diode) as an invisible code which is sensed by the camera, and fires the shu�er. Such systems require a ‘line of sight’ between the controller and the camera sensor. If the sensor cannot ‘see’ the light signal, it will not work. These systems have a typical range of about 5m. Controllers from the camera manufacturers cost from about €16 upwards, independent brands cost about €8 upwards. Bluetooth based communica�on - uses radio communica�on transmi�ed by a simple switch on a transmi�er to an aerial in the camera. This is commonly used for controlling smartphone cameras and some cameras. The orienta�on of the transmi�er to the camera can be in any direc�on, and the radio signal can pass through some obstacles. Most transmi�ers used for firing cameras are Class 3 with a typical range of about 5m. Bluetooth Class 1 repeaters could be used to extend the range to about 100m or more. Modern smartphones can o�en be used to trigger cameras fi�ed with Bluetooth - most of them use Class 2 transmission, giving a typical range of about 10m. WiFi is another standard for wireless communica�on, with a typical range of about 30m with obstacles and 120m outdoors. Transmi�er/ receiver remote release sets that plug into the camera are available from the camera manufacturers and independent manufacturers, costs from about €22 to over €560. Recent cameras from most manufactures that have Bluetooth and/or WiFi connec�vity have free so�ware available that enables smartphones to be used as live view wireless displays. The smartphone displays the camera live view screen along with the main camera controls. This is an excellent solu�on - except that the range is typically limited to about 10m.

All images ©Nathan Wajsman

MEET Nathan Wajsman

1980s

was born in Poland, grew up in Denmark, and as an adult have lived in the USA, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and now Spain, since 2007. My wife is from Puerto Rico, so to say that I have an international family is a bit of an understatement. I lived in Florida in the mid-1980s. One day my wife suggested that we get a “proper” camera to photograph family visits, and after some research I bought my first SLR, a Pentax. I took a photography course, learned to develop and print B&W film, and soon I was spending much of my free time (and some of the time I should be using on my graduate economics studies at the University of Florida!) driving around North Florida and taking pictures. Photography has been a big part of my life ever since. We moved to Brussels in 1995, and a couple of years later I joined Viewfinders. I left Brussels in 2000 but have remained a member and I enjoy the occasional meeting that I am able to attend—more so this year since everything has been online.

1990s

Today I use mainly Fuji X cameras with Fuji lenses but also some of my old Leica M lenses with adapters—this works very well. I still shoot the occasional roll of film, in a Leica M2 and Fuji 6x4.5 and 6x9 medium format cameras. My preferred type of photography is “urban landscape”— photos of a city with people in them, but the people are not always the main subject; rather, they complete the composition. So not in-your-face people photos, although I do some of those as well, usually after asking. I have a day job and also I am an avid cyclist, so I have integrated photography into my daily life. I never leave the house without a camera, and people at work are frequent “victims”. When I go cycling, my handlebar bag contains the usual items one needs on a bike ride—wallet, telephone, snacks—but also a small Panasonic Micro 4/3 camera with a couple of lenses. I am fortunate to live in Alicante, with a climate that permits year-round cycling and lots of beautiful landscapes to photograph.

Over the years I have spent too much money on www.fotocycle.dk/paws: a weekly photo blog, since 2001 equipment—I suspect I am not the only Viewfinders www.frozenlight.eu: my travel photography site member who can say that. I made the switch to digital around 2004. I was shooting mainly Leica M cameras at the www.greatpix.eu: my general photography site time, but was tempted by the convenience of digital, and also my favourite colour film, Kodachrome, was increasingly 2020 difficult and expensive to get processed.

2012

DISCOVERY

Three German photographers with very different styles. Esther Haase, fashion photographer Esther Haase says that her life is a dance through the world with the camera. She has worked for major magazines and interna�onal clients for more than twenty-five years, and playfully alternates between fashion, (celebrity) portrait, and reportage. Her oeuvre is permeated by a par�cular lightness; the women come across as cheerful and larksome, yet they are always self-determined and strong, sexy, and stylish. For Esther Haase it has to do with telling stories, whether by means of mo�on blur; lyrical and delicate, or brash colors; or black and white rich in contrast. Some images seem like cineas�c dreams, while others are baroque stagings, and s�ll other comical snapshots. (text from book “Esther's World”) Agnieszka Doroszewicz, whose passion are cars. Among her clients are BMW, Audi and Porsche. Motorsport photography is her speciality. For a shoot with the champion skier Marcel Hirscher who is also an experienced motocross rider, she went to the Salzburgring racetrack in Austria for some high-speed bike ac�on. Some of the most drama�c images of Marcel come from Agnieszka’s car-to-bike shots. “Professional riders know how to get close to the car, so Jeremy had to teach Marcel how to do this. And you also need a good car driver too,” she explains. “We were doing about 150 km/h for this shot and I was leaning out of the boot of a car really close to the road.” Shoo�ng on a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Agnieszka used her favourite 24-70mm standard zoom for much of the shoot as it lets her change her composi�on quickly without physically swapping lenses, which can result in an flee�ng moment being lost. The sense of movement comes from using a slow shu�er speed to convey a sense of dynamism and speed. Some�mes that means freezing the ac�on; other �mes it’s about le�ng it blur. (text from RedBullcontentpool.com) Julia Marie Werner captures people, in all their emo�on and glory. Whether in studio or on loca�on, her photographs are vibrant, full of life and energy. Originally trained at the acclaimed René Staud Studios in Stu�gart, Germany, she first focussed on automo�ve photography before exploring her keen interest in people and their environment. See her series Big Yellow Balloon, a fun photoshoot of a girl walking the city streets with a big yellow balloon in tow, and the heartwarming “Big City Lion” about a homeless dog which Julia Marie found in a garage in Spain and which seemed as a brave li�le lion to her. 9

FROZEN OSCILLATIONS: My adventure during the first Covid months By Hector Epelbaum All images ©Hector Epelbaum

hen Covid started spreading in Belgium it became evident to me that a long period of self-isola�on was looming.

My wish was to experience every day that my world is moving on as a peaceful adventure. The Park van Tervuren, our local park, offered me several chances for extended photographic projects without humans. Projects related, for example, to wildlife and behaviour, trees and phenomena related to water and to the atmosphere. The reflec�ons in the ponds appeared hypno�c, enigma�c, diverse, but… wouldn't their variety be exhausted in a few photos? During the last 6 years every �me I thought about the Dis�nc�ons of The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) I didn’t get a really good idea that would fascinate me during a long period in order to apply for an Associate Dis�nc�on (ARPS). The requirements for an ARPS are fundamentally a Statement of Intent (SoI) and a related, cohesive set of 15 photos. Technical and conceptual requirements are high and difficult to reach. The RPS Dis�nc�ons are considered the world standard of quality. For the Benelux countries there is a Study Group in which people show their projects or photos and get feedback. It is an ideal environment to get forward with confidence. To par�cipate, it’s not necessary to be an RPS Member. Since February the Mee�ngs are only online. I par�cipate regularly. There I got invaluable feedback, also from experts. The reflec�ons on the ponds were posing for me almost every single day between middle March and end of May. I realised what I needed to learn and to improve. I tuned my photo technique. It was a lot of fun. Finally I had a set of about 25 selected photos. With this set I finally got my harmonious, cohesive panel of 15 self-printed

and mounted photos that, together with the hanging plan, would be submi�ed for the Assessment. The results? • ARPS: The Assessment was posi�ve. Fantas�c! • Adventure: I con�nue exploring and discovering reflec�ons! • My Covid an�dote: I am able to transform the Covid limita�ons into crea�ve opportuni�es! See also: eJournal RPS - Benelux Chapter Note: The panel on the next page is meant to be viewed in landscape format, so if possible we recommend to rotate your image 90 degrees clockwise for the best viewing.

FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS By Philippe Clabots

Paul D’Haese Paul D’Haese is a Flemish photographer living north of Brussels with a huge list of exhibi�ons, group or solo, awards, lectures and publica�ons. More on his website …

orderline is a work carried out during hiking trips What impressed me a lot, besides of course the quality along the northern French coast. Paul D’Haese of the photography themselves, was the color toning focuses on the border between the built-up and the print quality. country and the sea. I le� the exhibi�on with a very nice feeling and weeks I visited the exhibi�on at Hangar Photo Art Center later I’m s�ll thinking about it, which is a clear sign that (Ixelles). Paul D’Haese was using the smaller space Paul D’Haese’s work has found its way into the located le� when entering the premises. It’s an old circumvolu�on of my brain. house converted into three rela�vely small exhibi�on spaces. Very nice in fact. More about “Borderline” on Hangar’s website. Hangar organizes exhibi�ons and events around the theme of photography in Brussels and amongst them the PhotoBrussels Fes�val, an event dedicated to photography that aims to radiate in the city. The 5th edi�on was planned Nov 2020 and has been postponed to 21 January - 27 March 2021. More on the Hangar website … When you enter the exhibi�on the most surprising thing is that most of the prints are really small with no framing. At first my thinking was “Why not bigger prints ?” but a�er a few minutes I was totally convinced by this approach. You’ve the prints at eye level and you need to come closer to look at them. Being so close creates a feeling of in�macy and you’re becoming a part of the picture.

What’s Next? As far as I know we will maybe have the opportunity to see his work and to meet him in person during an upcoming (somewhere in 2021) Viewfinders mee�ng. As the print work is essen�al to fully appreciate his art we will have to wait un�l the end of the Corona crisis. I will surely be there ! My Conclusion I’m deeply impressed by the quality and consistency of Paul D’Haese’s work. He has the ability to convert mundane situa�ons into pieces of art full of poetry. As I talked about “Borderline” and Paul D’Haese to photographers around me I’ve discovered that a lot of them know him and love his work. The quality of the prints, homemade if I’m right, is really stunning on a nice "Hahnemühle Fine Art" ma�e/sa�n paper with so� color tones that gives an in�mate dimension to the images. Do yourself a favor and go to Paul D’Haese’s next exhibi�on. You'll need to see the prints to really appreciate his work.

Paul D’Haese website h�p://www.pauldhaese.be/ Hangar website h�ps://www.hangar.art/ Post about the exhibi�on on Philippe Clabots website

WHAT’S UP?

Photography classes No physical classes for the moment – but there are online classes! Udemy is a global marketplace for teaching and learning, which offers general photography courses but also targeted webinars for e.g. portrait photography and post-processing tools like Lightroom, Photoshop, etc. Wild Eye photography webinars (not only for wildlife photographers!), South Africa

Exhibi�ons No physical exhibi�ons for the moment – but you can explore photo spots around you and/or all over Belgium! And maybe have your own exhibi�on one day? What about: Antwerpen - architecture photowalk • Antwerpen port with the futuris�c (and controversial) building of the Port Authority built by famous architect Zaha Hadid, • Palais de Jus�ce, • Umicore building at Antwerpen-Hoboken. Bokrijk Park - close to Hasselt, Limburg, nature and animals. Website here. Brussels Cemeteries - like Cime�ère de Laeken, where at the entrance you can take a brochure and/or an audioguide which will guide you through the place.

See also: Bart Heirweg's (Belgian landscape photographer) book “De mooiste fotoloca�es van België” (only in Dutch)

©Sabine Posdziech 14

VIEWFINDERS CALENDAR 2020-2021 DATE

EVENT

DETAILS

16 December

Club Meeting

Challenge: Inside

13 January

Club Meeting

10 February

Club Meeting

17 March

Club Meeting

21 April

Club Meeting

Challenge: Texture

19 May

Club Meeting

Negative Space Photo project

09 June

Club Meeting

AGM & portfolios

Food Photography project

COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2020-2021 President

Alun Foster

0496 572 402

alun@dafos.be

Vice President

Miguel Angel Vilar

0477 942 743

mavg30@gmail.com

Secretary

Richard Sylvester

0474 300 086

rsybru@gmail.com

Treasurer

Caroline Hendry

0494 089 098

caroline.hendry@mecar.be

Membership Coordinator

Dagmara Jakubowska

0485 796 565

jdagmara@yahoo.co.uk

Newsletter Publisher

Tine Stausholm

0468 062 875

tine@stausholm.uk

Newsletter Editor

Sabine Posdziech

0497 122 236

sabine.42@hotmail.fr

IT Support Coordinator

Miguel Angel Vilar

0477 942 743

mavg30@gmail.com

Publicity Coordinator

Martin Schmid

0498 945 083

martin.schmid@hp.com

Programme Coordinator

N/A

AssociateCommittee members:

Philippe Clabots

0477 264 681

pclabots@gmail.com

Hector Epelbaum

0495 128 128

hectorVF@veqtor.com

Robert Paridaens

0475 203 524

paridaensrobert@hotmail.com

Alun

Miguel Angel

Richard

Caroline

Tine

Sabine

Martin

Philippe

Robert

If you are on Facebook,connect to the Viewfinders Group! It’s an informal group for sharing news on events, ‘for sale’items,interesting websites and news stories, or just to share some of your recent photos. newsletter@viewfinders.be

Bank account: BE133101 2440 7539

Any items from members for publication are welcome. Images are particularly welcome. Pleasesend them in as separate attachments (not embedded in emails or documents) in JPEGformat, with no less than 2000px on the long side and minimal compression. Please be aware that, in accordance with the layout, some cropping may occur. Pleasesend submissions to newsletter@viewfinders.be.

PHOTOS FROM MEMBERS